Applying to position as an intern

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Greetings!

For me, the match week just ended. After a horrifying and traumatic week of a) not matching in the general match and b) not matching in the SOAP, I finally slink away with a TRI position that I earned by spending the entire day calling places. I'm not giving up on my dreams of PM&R though (besides which, I have to do *something* after the TRI is over).

I can't find ANYTHING on how to apply to advanced positions while an intern. Not for PM&R or any other field. I know it's different for residents because 3 interns got positions while I was working with them last year, and they matched in December. Moreover, while I was on the phone with the program director where I will be working in a few months, he mentioned that they had an intern who matched this year to a PM&R program.

So even though it's literally still match week (my classmates who did match don't even know where they're going yet), I want to start this NOW so that I can get everything in order. What do I need to do and when do I need to start?

Note: DO student, average board scores.
Went to AOCPMR MYM last year, thoroughly enjoyed it; really can't go this year (it's during the last rotation I have as a student. I could go just during the weekend, but it's very pricey between flights and registration cost...)
AAPMR will be practically in my backyard this year. It's in October.
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physiatryorbust said:
Greetings!

For me, the match week just ended. After a horrifying and traumatic week of a) not matching in the general match and b) not matching in the SOAP, I finally slink away with a TRI position that I earned by spending the entire day calling places. I'm not giving up on my dreams of PM&R though (besides which, I have to do *something* after the TRI is over).

I can't find ANYTHING on how to apply to advanced positions while an intern. Not for PM&R or any other field. I know it's different for residents because 3 interns got positions while I was working with them last year, and they matched in December. Moreover, while I was on the phone with the program director where I will be working in a few months, he mentioned that they had an intern who matched this year to a PM&R program.

So even though it's literally still match week (my classmates who did match don't even know where they're going yet), I want to start this NOW so that I can get everything in order. What do I need to do and when do I need to start?

Note: DO student, average board scores.
Went to AOCPMR MYM last year, thoroughly enjoyed it; really can't go this year (it's during the last rotation I have as a student. I could go just during the weekend, but it's very pricey between flights and registration cost...)
AAPMR will be practically in my backyard this year. It's in October.
Click to expand...
One of my fellow TRIs matched ACGME PMR, he applied through ERAS and matched, will get credit for his AOA year but will have a year off.
 
jmarkant said:
One of my fellow TRIs matched ACGME PMR, he applied through ERAS and matched, will get credit for his AOA year but will have a year off.
Click to expand...
That's crazy! What do you do with a year off like that?!
 
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First of all, sorry to hear you didn't match.

To answer your questions, I think we need to find out the honest truth of why you didn't match. I assume you interviewed at places, so your application was good enough to get an interview (so board scores are at least good enough to match). What was it with the interviews that didn't go well enough to match? You will need to find some honest answers and polish the heck out of your interview skills, regardless how good you think you are.

It will also help if we know how many PM&R positions you applied for last years and how many interviews you went on? Same thing for intern year positions and interviews? (if you have posted it somewhere else before sorry I didn't look around to see)

You will have to apply again through ERAS. It is probably the same time-line, but I don't know for this year. You will register, pay money and go through the same process again. Except for now you will have full-time employment and could be working up to 80 hours a week. On ERAS there are a few positions available for current residents as well as the general match, which you may have noticed when applying this year. In the mean time, I recommend working on new LOR's and making sure they are extremely strong recommendations. You will also need to re-do your personal statement. Make it very strong, and you will have to address why you didn't match this year and what you are doing to be a stronger candidate. You will have to plan any interviews with vacation time next year, and likely you will only be able to take 1 week vacation per rotation. So you will have to be strategic in your scheduling.

Most importantly, I recommend being the best intern you can be at your TY program. If you start off as a mediocre intern it will ultimately hurt your application and any LOR's you could of had. Ideally you would get a great LOR from you intern PD after working for a few months. Don't show up next year as the resident who wants to do PM&R and doesn't care about doing hospitalist medicine or working in the ICU. You have to at least fake it if you want to match.

BTW, no one cares if you go to conferences or not. It adds little value to your application.
 
Don't fret. I didn't match the first time around. Now I'm graduating PM&R residency in a few months and will be moving on to a S&S fellowship.

This is not the end. Bumps along the road build character and makes it that much more satisfying when you eventually succeed (which you will).

If you truly love it, keep striving for it.
 
I also went through this scenario last year, got through my TRI and matched into an R2 position starting next year in rehab. I actually think the best thing I did other than get a good LOR was go to AAPMR and introduce myself to as many people as i could. I went to PD and chair lectures and made sure to stay after to ask questions. As a result, I ended up getting more interviews than the year before. There are many paths to get where you want to go, dont lose hope! Let me know if I can help.
 
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